Nile Perch Take A Boda Ride

Yep, those are some BIG fish on the back of the bike. Yes, the bike also holds 2 men in this photo, plus some bags of something else, too. I am telling you, nearly ANYTHING can go on the back of a "boda boda". The original term is derived from the pronunciation of "border to border" and it is now down to either "boda boda" or just "boda". I have seen 30 or so dead chickens, feathers flapping in the wind, tied to them. I've seen families of 5 on them, plus the driver! I've seen beds, windshields, beds, sofas, goats, dead pigs (big ones!), and even other bodas on the backs of bodas. It is sort of a game for us to find a really unique thing on them. I think this was the first time I saw fish of this size on one.

HIS Youth on Retreat

I would have gotten into this group photo but the batteries on my camera were dying, so I just snapped away with one shot, hoping it would come out! PTL it did. This is all the HIS junior high and high school kids plus the counselors. I was so glad everyone got to go to retreat. Thank you for praying for us for both the retreat and the mission's trip!

Spring 2007 Spiritual Retreat

WGM Volunteer Brad Brown, here till June with his wife Annie (who is our HIS Kindergarten teacher this semester) was our devotional leader on the mission's trip, and our speaker during retreat. Here he is with our kids during one of the sessions.

HIS Retreat in Jinja

Friday morning we left Bugiri and drove back west to Jinja. There, we met the grades 7 & 8 from HIS, and we had an overnight retreat together. Once again, we did played on the slip 'n' slide; it seems it is a highlight of retreat for a lot of us. Did you know if you add soap it gets even more slippery? This photo is of some of the junior high guys getting up from the slide.

A Witchdoctor's Family

The first home we visited in Bugiri was home to a number of people, mostly all from the same family. As we visited with them, they shared that their father had died (about a year ago) and left his many children (from many wives) to be raised by the older children. Their prayer request was for family unity, no matter who the mother was. They're apparently fighting over land and property, and most (all?) of the widows of the man have left. Many of those widows left their children behind, since their marriage was "no more". It was a very sad situation, compounded horribly by the fact that they just have no clear understanding, yet, of Jesus and His saving grace. I shared carefully with them- I can assume most of them believe more in witchcraft and local god worship and didn't wish to offend or make them angry. I've heard enough that curses do work when someone puts one on you. I'm not afraid of curses, but I do know that anger by a witchdoctor/worshipper can greatly limit many things in the village. So, I tried to clearly but simply state that Jesus Christ could unify ANY relationship and solve ANY problem. I asked if they were willing to have me pray for them; they were happy for that. I was pleased to do so, of course. Will you pray against Satan's hold here in Africa? So many people are so blinded by Satan and his lies.
Funny thing- after we left this shamba (farm), our pastor-translator said that I'd had an offer of marriage. Well, how about that? (I said no, thank you).
ADDITION: I got a question about the local title for witchdoctors here, and their role. Answer- "Traditional Healers" and they are seen as local medicine men/women who offer some useful herbal remedies as well as curses or potions to poison or hinder/hurt an enemy. I've known people hurt or who have died due to poisons and potions mixed by the traditional healer. Unfortunately, even many Christians will go to them for medical treatment first, instead of a properly educated and licensed medical doctor, as the healer is so much cheaper. But those who know the system guarantee the healer worships Satan and is committed to serving evil, even to the point of dedicating themselves and others to the Devil.

Where We Stayed

In Bugiri district, 5 minutes outside of Bugiri town, we stayed with Rev. Moses and his wife, Beatrice. They are very kind and definitely have the gift of hospitality. We stayed in rooms and tents on their property, across from the school where we did our painting and concrete work. The "hut" to the left was our dining room. The hut to the right is the kitchen (kitchens in most Ugandan homes are removed from the house due to fire hazards, etc.). The actual home is not pictured here; it is a cement block home full of welcome and love.

Coffin Delivery

While I was wandering around the village taking pictures, this man was delivering a coffin nearby. I don't think I've seen a purple one before, let alone one delivered on a "boda boda" (a small motorcycle here). They usually carry some pretty random things, and this one had an impact on me as I thought of who would be using it, the family left behind, and all the implications of eternity for the deceased. It also made for an interesting photo. I don't think they usually paint coffins, so that too was a random reason I've posted it. If I've offended you, I am sorry. I just found it sad and interesting all at once.

Chicks and Pineapple...

It takes a long time to grow a pineapple. I've been trying to do it in my back yard for 2 years. The "shamba" lady had about 300 plants besides all her other enterprises.

These photos include a pineapple plant (from the lady's farm) and the
"chickery"- the nursery where the chicks are kept until they're old enough to sell.

Village visits

Another ministry we took part in was home visits where we visited local villagers, heard a bit of their stories, and prayed for them. This lady (at far left) was very excited to have us all come visit her home and meet her family and see her shamba (farm). She raises pineapples, chicks, goats, maize, bananas, cattle and whatever else her small property can hold.

Village bore hole (a well)

You know how Jesus met the woman at the well? That scene can be repeated each day here in Uganda. As I've mentioned before, most homes in the village don't have plumbing, so women and children go about twice a day to fill large "jerry cans" (plastic jugs) which of course are quite heavy when full. These photos show the HIS youth at the village bore hole (washing up after painting), and a woman carrying a jerry can home.

Where we painted

This is where we painted one of the academic offices for the school where we ministered. The school is run mostly by a mission (Church of God, Anderson), along with Compassion International (which sponsors some of the students), as well as receiving some help from the Ugandan government.

Bugiri, Uganda mission's trip photos

One of the things we did on the Bugiri mission's trip was help make a cement floor in a 20x30 ft. classroom. It was neat to see that the classroom's former "mud-pit" would no longer be a hindrance in the education process. In this photo, John (grade 11 from Kenya) is moving some of the cement for the floor.

Back from HIS mission's trip!

Here is our group with some of the Ugandans we worked with in Bugiri, eastern Uganda. We had a wonderful and safe trip where we did a number of ministries, had some really great conversations, and met some precious people. Check out the next few photos I load for a visual of the days we spent there.

Mission's Trip fund-raiser Banquet

In preparation for the HIS mission's trip to Bugiri (April 18-20) in Eastern Uganda, we had a mission's dinner. It was based around a talent show for the HIS kids, and funds from the dinner went towards the missions trip expenses. This photo is of me at the end of the evening, giving thanks to the HIS youth who helped make the dinner a success. This photo includes nearly everyone going on the trip. A list of names, so you can pray (please) is: Mischa, Yang, Cleopatra, Audrey, Cherry, Bertha, Jesse, Brian, John, Keeley, Brad and me (in the photo, that is all of us from left to right).

Easter Egg Dye Goes OVERBOARD

Check out these GREEN chicks. No, nobody was playing a late April fool's joke. Apparently they dye them so the hawks and eagles won't eat them. I wonder why predatory birds don't eat them if they're green. Maybe they're looking for Green Eggs and Ham? Or are the chicks moldy to them? I guess the color wears off after a while. I've seen grown chickens with slight patches of green which must have grown out of the solid-green phase.

WGM-HQ Leadership Visits Uganda

Yay! Our WGM leadership came to visit for a few days in late March/early April. We had a wonderful time showing them around, introducing them to the ministries and people here. We also had a meeting together (on my birthday no less!) where we heard further details on how the mission is doing, the dreams and ideas and lessons our leaders are learning/working on/developing. It was a really good visit and we're all so happy they could come. I got to host Dennis and Twana Johnson in my home. They were my field directors in Bolivia and she was my prayer partner. To have about 10 days with them was just a breath of fresh air. :) In total, counting other visitors here for various reasons, we hosted 16 people in a matter of about 10 days (some overlapping so all beds were full on the whole field!). It was, I guess, like having a team here (which we're used to), but due to WHO it was, it was a whole fun, new experience!

HIS faculty fellowship

Each year the HIS board hosts a dinner as a thank you to the HIS faculty and staff. Usually it is in May, but we were all glad to have it in March this year, before the rush of end-of-year activities. It was a very nice evening of Ugandan and other foods, all very yummy and complete with a fun game of "Outburst" after eating.

Uganda Village Plumbing

In much of Africa, Uganda included, there are no pipes running from the local water company to each home. The majority of the population gets their water at a village tap and carries it home every day in "Jerry cans" such as these. This of course depends on if there is a tap of some sort; it is a well - called a bore hole here- which has probably been dug/drilled by a mission agency or a non-profit group here to minister by bringing water to every village. But so many village still don't have water and people walk for miles to get theirs. Why do they live where there is no water? Land is at a premium and if you inherit or buy it, you stay to protect it and try to make a living from it somehow. So the "cost" of walking for an hour or more of the day to bring water home is relative. Yes, even in Kampala with 2.8 million people, many, MANY people have to carry water to their homes. My home has water MOST days, for which I am VERY thankful.

Shopping for Souvenirs

This lady keeps a shop I like to visit to get gifts. She sells shoes, wooden and painted items, jewelry, and lots of other fun goodies. Come and shop till you drop!

Retirement of a Missionary

Mary Ann Lewis spent most of her 40 years serving in Africa, in Kenya. However, her last 8 or so years were in Uganda and she recently retired. I've got a few photos here of her send-off in late March. Missionaries came from Kenya along with some friends of Mary Ann's, with whom she had worked for a number of years there. One photo is of her with the Kenya and WGM friends. One is of us praying for her as we said goodbye. One is of me and Annie, as we had been asked to serve tea and cookies (called biscuits here).

Another picture at the Int'l Dinner

Here I am at the International Dinner, with Red, White and Blue on (for the USA of course), along with Rhonda (from Canada, with Red & White on; she teaches Art), Bonhommie (from Congo- he didn't wear a Congolese outfit; he is the French teacher), and Alan (pictured with his baby and wife; they are from Kenya and he is the Computer teacher).

International Dinner @ HIS

In March we had an international dinner. Heritage International has about 14 nations represented. So we invited everyone to dress in outfits from their country and bring some typical food from their country. We then shared it all, had a national anthem time, and even shared trivia and other songs, tips, etc. It was a really fun evening. It was the second annual international dinner, and we look forward to more in the years to come!

Fresh (?) Meat

Although I get my meat at a store where it looks (and should be) clean, most people here get theirs, if they can afford it, from vendors like this one. There is also a fish man who rides his bike around with a HUGE wooden box on the back. In it he carries the catch of the day (usually Talapia from Lake Victoria). For a price he will select a fish from his box, clean it, and even remove the head, if you like. Most places here however serve the fish complete- head and all- and many people say that to eat the head, especially the eyes, you will be smart.

Cute Kids

Man, it has been about 6 weeks since I could post anything. Much of that is due to my schedule, but the other part is that internet service is spotty here, and although I TRIED to sign in a number of times, I wasn't able to. Today it worked so I am working away while the window of opportunity exists! :)
This photo is of some children from Katale, where we have a church. While a Youth Pastor's training was going on, I stepped out to allow the African leaders to train without me looking over their shoulders. During that break time, these kids clung to me and we had a lot of fun taking photos. I even outlined them against the church wall with chalk. They giggled and laughed and loved that! Too bad I don't have THAT photo!